GRM Review: Scion FR-S

Here it is. We sampled a fresh FR-S from the press fleet. It had only 300 miles on it, and we were all fighting for the keys. We brought it into the office to get its corner weights, and we also tried getting in the back seat. It was not easy.

At 5'10".... ok 5'9", with the seat raised up, and my wife in her normal driving position, I could sit behind her. Had to tilt my head, but I was back there. REALLY wish the passenger seat raised up, as well.

A back seat like an RX-7 2+2 - in other words, it's there to meet the technical definition of a back seat to keep the insurance costs down.

Underpowered? Slippery tires? Sounds like a stock NA Miata to me. I like a stock NA Miata, because you can indulge yourself in the twisties without having to reach warp speed to begin approaching the limits of the car.

I did a "fun run" in one last week at an autox. I really liked it, too. I think it is a handsome, understated car that is as honest as any new car can be. I didn't "heel and toe" -- someone told me the override on the brakes made that impossible. Any one know about that?

Go with White - Per the JNC guys...
white is overwhelmingly the car color of choice in Japan. Why? This is just our own theory, but it’s all about contrast. Tires have to be black. Taillights have to be red. On many modern cars where taillights are not separated by chrome or rubber trim, red paint strips away the defining features of the rear. Traditional Japanese art consists mainly of stark black ink on white paper, with a little dash of red inkan. Those colors must speak to some deeply ingrained cultural wavelength among Japanese drivers, and Japanese cars are designed to just plain look good in white.

ZOO wrote:
I did a "fun run" in one last week at an autox. I really liked it, too. I think it is a handsome, understated car that is as honest as any new car can be. I didn't "heel and toe" -- someone told me the override on the brakes made that impossible. Any one know about that?

Ugh, no way. I will be really disappointed in Toyota if this is true, especially considering that new cars have both a speedometer and a clutch pedal sensor.

ZOO wrote:
I did a "fun run" in one last week at an autox. I really liked it, too. I think it is a handsome, understated car that is as honest as any new car can be. I didn't "heel and toe" -- someone told me the override on the brakes made that impossible. Any one know about that?

What I had read is that system allows for overlap of gas and brake inputs for up to a certain amount of time, like 0.75 or 1.5 seconds, before kicking in. It's enough leeway that you can left-foot brake or heel-toe, but not so much that they get a repeat of the runaway Prius issue.

Datsun310Guy wrote:
Go with White - Per the JNC guys...
white is overwhelmingly the car color of choice in Japan. Why? This is just our own theory, but it’s all about contrast. Tires have to be black. Taillights have to be red. On many modern cars where taillights are not separated by chrome or rubber trim, red paint strips away the defining features of the rear. Traditional Japanese art consists mainly of stark black ink on white paper, with a little dash of red inkan. Those colors must speak to some deeply ingrained cultural wavelength among Japanese drivers, and Japanese cars are designed to just plain look good in white.
http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2012/05/31/project-neo86-introducing-the-jnc-scion-fr-s/#more-19887